At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought out to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.The musicians were also brought together from the region around Jerusalem . . .  I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large c...  Read More

In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.". . . We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God . . . Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of...  Read More

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of t...  Read More

They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of th...  Read More

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women a...  Read More

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God…After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. I put in ch...  Read More

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you -- by night they are coming to kill you."But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go...  Read More

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written:"It is reported among the nations -- and Geshem says it is true -- that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to mak...  Read More

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it -- though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates -- Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono."But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: ...  Read More

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!"At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had prom...  Read More

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain."Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine."Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields ...  Read More

Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the p...  Read More